amphitheatre of low grassy land, and some tolerable soil upon the surface
of which, in many parts, we found large blocks of granite heaped one upon
another. Near the tent we found coal; but the presence of this mineral in
a primitive country, at an immense distance from any part where a coal
formation is known to exist, would puzzle the geologist, were I not to
explain all I know upon the subject. Upon referring to the late Sir
Joseph Banks's copy of the Endeavour's log (in the possession of my
friend Mr. Brown) I found the following remark, under date of 21st and
22nd June, 1770. "Employed getting our coals on shore." This is also
confirmed in the account of the voyage;* and, when it is taken into
consideration that we found it on no other part than the very spot that
Captain Cook's coals must, from our local knowledge of the place, have
been landed, the difficulty ceases; and there remains no doubt but that
it is a relic of that navigator's voyage, which must have been lying
undisturbed for nearly half a century.

(*Footnote. Hawkesworth volume 3 page 155.)

Among the varieties of seeds which were collected at this river were the
following: Grevillea gibbosa; a species of leea; a cassia; a species of
dalea, remarkable for its simple foliage; two species of melaleuca, one
bearing a white, the other a crimson flower; an acacia; two species of
the natural order convolvolaceae, namely, Ipomoea sp. and Ipomoea
gracilis; and a species of the natural order leguminosae allied to
galega; Erythrina indica or the coral-tree; several species of
eucalyptus; a xanthorrhoea; and a great number of other curious plants
which will appear whenever the catalogue of Mr. Cunningham's extensive
botanical collection is published.

July 11.